Lulu Press, Inc., doing business under trade name Lulu, is an online print-on-demand, self-publishing, and distribution platform. By 2014, it had issued approximately two million titles.[1]
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| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Genre | Self-publishing |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Founder | Bob Young |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Kathy Hensgen (CEO) |
| Products | Books, e-books, photo-books, calendars |
| Services | Print on demand and e-book publishing |
| Website | Official website  |
The company's founder is Red Hat co-founder Bob Young; he also was CEO for many years.[2] As of 2022[update], the company’s 20th anniversary, Young had handed CEO duties to Kathy Hensgen.[3] The company's headquarters are in Morrisville, North Carolina.
Products
editIn 2009, Lulu began publishing and distributing ebooks. Lulu also prints and publishes calendars and photo books. In 2017, Lulu introduced an Open Access print-on-demand service.[4]
Process
editThe author of a title receives an 80% royalty for print books and a 90% royalty for eBooks when sold.[5]
Replay Photos
editIn January 2014, Lulu announced that it had acquired Durham (NC)-based sports photography company Replay Photos.[6] Replay Photos sells licensed images of collegiate and professional sports teams as photographic prints, custom framed photos, photos on canvas, and original wall art.[7]
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
editLulu's final phase for their Digital Rights Management (DRM) Retirement project was released July 2, 2013. Prior to January 15, 2013, a Lulu author could choose to apply Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection to their PDF or EPUB.[citation needed]
Lulu Jr.
editIn 2014, Lulu launched Lulu Jr., which enables children to become published authors.[8] Lulu Jr. products include My Comic Book and IlluStory.[9]
Lulu Blooker Prize
editThe Lulu Blooker Prize was a literary award for "blooks" (books based on blogs).[10] It was awarded in 2006 and 2007 and sponsored by Lulu. An overall prize was awarded, based on the winners of three subsidiary categories: non-fiction, fiction, and comics. The Lulu Blooker Prize was open to any "blook" that had been published "to date" (i.e., by the entry deadline) by any publisher.[10]
2006
editThe first competition saw 89 entries from over a dozen countries. A panel of three judges decided the winners: Cory Doctorow, Chair of Judges; Paul Jones; and Robin "Roblimo" Miller.[11]
Winners
edit- Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell (main prize, non-fiction)
- Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest (fiction)
- Totally Boned: A Joe and Monkey Collection by Zach Miller (comics, self-published through Lulu)
Runners-up
edit- Biodiesel Power by Lyle Estill (runner up, non-fiction, see biodiesel)
- Hackoff.com: An Historic Murder Mystery Set in the Internet Bubble and Rubble by Tom Evslin (runner up, fiction)
- Dinosaur Comics: Huge Eyes, Beaks, Intelligence, and Ambition by Ryan North (runner up, comics)
2007
editThe 2007 competition had 110 entries from 15 countries. The number of judges was increased to five: Paul Jones (chair), Arianna Huffington, Julie Powell (2006 overall winner), Rohit Gupta, and Nick Cohen.[12]
Winners
edit- My War: Killing Time in Iraq by Colby Buzzell (Overall Winner and Non-Fiction Winner)
- The Doorbells of Florence by Andrew Losowsky (Fiction Winner)
- Mom's Cancer by Brian Fies (Comics Winner)
Runners-up
edit- My Secret: A PostSecret Book by Frank Warren (Non-Fiction)
- Island: A Zombie Novel by David Wellington (Fiction)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Lulu Enters Exclusive Licensing and Distribution Agreement With Easy Student Publishing for Kids' Creativity and Book-Making Products" (Press release).
- ^ "Red Hat's co-founder was unemployed and working in a closet when he started the company IBM just bought for $34 billion". CNBC. November 1, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
- ^ Allam, Chantal (April 8, 2022). "As Lulu.com celebrates 20 years, founder Bob Young reflects on its staying power". WRAL TechWire. Retrieved September 2, 2023.
- ^ Carpenter, Caroline (February 3, 2017). "Lulu launches academic alternative". thebookseller.com.
- ^ Tilton, Kate (January 25, 2013). "Royalty Rates Comparison". BiblioCrunch. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ "Lulu acquires Durham-based Replay Photos". newsobserver. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ "Replay Photos: Help / FAQs". ReplayPhotos.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ "Lulu Launch Lulu Junior Website and Introduce Children's Book-Making Kits". Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ "Lulu Jr". Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ a b Moyer, Edward (October 13, 2005). "'Blooker Prize' rewards books based on blogs". cnet.com.
- ^ Gibson, Owen (April 3, 2006). "From blog to book: first awards for online writers who became mainstream successes". The Guardian. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ "War book wins Blooker blog prize". BBC News. May 14, 2007. Retrieved November 16, 2015.